Nicanor
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- nee-kah-NOR
- Origin
- Greek
Nicanor is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “victorious man”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Nicanor mean?
Greek: Greek Nikanor, from nike 'victory' and aner 'man'
“victorious man”
Nicanor is one of the seven deacons chosen in the Acts of the Apostles; the name is also used in Spanish.
Is Nicanor a girl's or a boy's name?
Nicanor is a boys' name.
How popular is Nicanor in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1982, with 20 boys. It first appears in the records in 1913.
Half of all the boys named Nicanor in the US since 1880 were born between 1959 and 1999, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nicanor in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | #9,757 |
| 2022 | 10 | #7,762 |
| 2021 | 8 | #8,820 |
| 2020 | 6 | #10,599 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 7 | #9,664 |
| 2017 | 9 | #8,136 |
| 2016 | 8 | #8,811 |
| 2015 | 6 | #10,638 |
| 2014 | 8 | #8,775 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 8 | #8,760 |
| 2010 | 8 | #8,797 |
| 2009 | 9 | #8,305 |
| 2008 | 10 | #7,693 |
| 2007 | 9 | #8,169 |
| 2006 | 12 | #6,455 |
| 2005 | 14 | #5,572 |
| 2004 | 11 | #6,514 |
| 2003 | 6 | #9,574 |
| 2002 | 16 | #4,697 |
| 2001 | 12 | #5,660 |
| 2000 | 12 | #5,581 |
| 1999 | 12 | #5,311 |
| 1998 | 9 | #6,308 |
| 1997 | 12 | #4,954 |
| 1996 | 6 | #7,964 |
| 1995 | 12 | #4,785 |
| 1994 | 9 | #5,862 |
| 1993 | 17 | #3,655 |
| 1992 | 13 | #4,319 |
| 1991 | 14 | #3,998 |
| 1990 | 6 | #7,171 |
| 1989 | 13 | #4,011 |
| 1988 | 10 | #4,445 |
| 1987 | 6 | #6,083 |
| 1986 | 11 | #3,878 |
| 1985 | 9 | #4,328 |
| 1984 | 12 | #3,457 |
| 1983 | 5 | #6,234 |
| 1982 | 20 | #2,425 |
| 1981 | 19 | #2,495 |
| 1980 | 12 | #3,429 |
| 1979 | 8 | #4,401 |
| 1978 | 8 | #4,155 |
| 1977 | 12 | #3,201 |
| 1976 | 7 | #4,416 |
| 1975 | 11 | #3,244 |
| 1974 | 14 | #2,672 |
| 1973 | 6 | #4,503 |
| 1972 | 12 | #2,817 |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,368 |
| 1970 | 7 | #3,834 |
| 1969 | 7 | #3,594 |
| 1968 | 8 | #3,106 |
| 1967 | 7 | #3,229 |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1965 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1964 | 6 | #3,600 |
| 1963 | 6 | #3,645 |
| 1962 | 9 | #2,846 |
| 1961 | 5 | #4,063 |
| 1960 | 13 | #2,313 |
| 1959 | 5 | #3,986 |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 8 | #3,022 |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 7 | #3,199 |
| 1954 | 13 | #2,206 |
| 1953 | 5 | #3,796 |
| 1952 | 8 | #2,872 |
| 1951 | 6 | #3,362 |
| 1950 | 5 | #3,678 |
| 1949 | 8 | #2,801 |
| 1948 | 10 | #2,442 |
| 1947 | 5 | #3,731 |
| 1946 | 5 | #3,523 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 7 | #2,861 |
| 1943 | 5 | #3,536 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 8 | #2,655 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 6 | #3,174 |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 8 | #2,628 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 5 | #3,677 |
| 1933 | 7 | #3,003 |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 7 | #3,094 |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 6 | #3,557 |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 6 | #3,778 |
| 1926 | 5 | #4,199 |
| 1925 | 7 | #3,406 |
| 1924 | 6 | #3,865 |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 6 | #3,867 |
| 1920 | 5 | #4,284 |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 6 | #3,727 |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 7 | #3,176 |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 5 | #2,820 |
Names like Nicanor
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Christopher, Nicholas, Andrew, Alexander, Timothy, Jason, Hector, Taylor, Alex, Benjamin, Christian, Nathan
More Greek names
Luca, Theodore, Sophia, George, Theo, Lucas, Sofia, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe, Iris
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Nicanor: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nicanor, updated 20 October 2026.